A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week would create a demonstration project for competency-based education programs. The project would grant statutory and regulatory flexibility to participants, such as in the application of federal financial aid rules, while also creating new requirements aimed at accountability and transparency.

Co-sponsors of the proposed legislation are Luke Messer, a Republican from Indiana, and Jared Polis, a Colorado Democrat. Both serve on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The House passed a similar bill in 2014, but the U.S. Senate did not follow suit.

Dubbed the Advancing Competency-Based Education Act of 2017, the proposed legislation would require an annual evaluation of each competency-based education program in the project to measure quality, student progress toward degrees and their ability to pay off loans and find employment after graduation. It also would require accrediting agencies for participating institutions to set standards for competency-based education.

The Afterschool Alliance is working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met. Learn more